


buena onda

by krisherdown



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: 5 Times, Bromance, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-09 06:22:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8879350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krisherdown/pseuds/krisherdown
Summary: Or: 5 Moments in Juan Martin's 2016 Comeback, and 1 Time He Sees Even More Could Come





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [healingmirth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/healingmirth/gifts).



> As soon as I saw that I matched with your letter, I did a cheer as I was hoping to write some Delpo. Real life decided to distract but I was determined to give this a proper story. Hope you enjoy.

**1\. Davis Cup Final, 2015**

Juan Martin doesn’t mean to watch tennis this close to the start of this new comeback.  But a Davis Cup final is still a Davis Cup final, even though being so close yet so far from ending Argentina’s drought is probably the number one reason the Argentine press has different opinions of his career than any actual fans.  Well, that and being on the wrong side of Nalbandian’s wrath never went well.

He is aware Belgium made the final, as he had to deal with Fede sobbing on the phone about messing up his chance against Darcis, but was he ever shocked to discover their opponent was Great Britain.

One of those stories Juan Martin clearly missed during this lost season was that British tennis actually wasn’t just wherever Andy was playing at a given time.  Andy’s brother actually making Grand Slam finals and some challenger guy named James Ward beating John Isner were facts that didn’t really make sense to him.

He watches the first day of the final, noticing that, while the crowd is appreciative of the home Belgians, the brigade pulling for Great Britain goes loud and strong as Kyle Edmund starts on fire.  Even as he comes down to earth and eventually wears down, it is all just a precursor to the main event.  The Andy Murray Show is what these people came for.

Now, it would be tough to ignore how edgy Murray’s fans can get at Wimbledon, with history and ghosts threatening every positive moment.  Even when Andy won Wimbledon in 2013, it was more about showing how nervous everyone was up until the last point than actually enjoying the moment. 

This day in Ghent has none of that edge.  These are Brits who are ready to celebrate and they absolutely know they have the right player to make it so.

Juan Martin would be the first to admit that Andy had gotten on his nerves at a rather early age.  He got destroyed by Andy in juniors, the one-year age difference seeming more like five as Juan Martin got bagel-breadsticked that first meeting.  Everyone was aware how his nerves regarding his own health turned their Rome match into something that would’ve fit in the press conference before a boxing match.

Andy was a scrapper, twisting the opponent's game around until _you're_ cursing how bad _you're_ playing instead of realizing _he's_ doing exactly what _he_ wants.  In a game where the elegance of Roger, the brute force of Rafa, the weird flexibility Gumby fitness thing from Novak, or the bludgeoning Juan Martin could do himself back in 2009 can distract quite a few fans, it is tough to decipher exactly what Andy is doing that's so special.

Granted, Andy is playing a guy who is Challenger level so it would be tough to see this match going any other way.  But it's the way he's turned around a nation in a way so that they fully know Andy is their leader, not just a weird looking Scottish lad.  When, two days later, Andy defeats Goffin and ends up on the shoulders of the rest of the Great Britain team, it feels right to Juan Martin that Andy has that moment.  Even as he wonders how deep Argentina squads have never held that Davis Cup trophy.

 

**2.  Wimbledon Second Round, 2016**

He's not going to claim that beating Stan Wawrinka is a signal to Juan Martin that he can get back to the Top 5 perch he held before he ever had to think about wrist surgeries.  He’s beaten Stan before and it’s a game plan he knows.  But the match is a sign that spending those last few years in rehabilitation was worth it, even if this win is the only time he can even approach these heights.

It confuses him how he's grown to love grass courts.  How he has a bronze medal thanks to these Wimbledon grass courts, in which he battled against the then-reigning Wimbledon champ (and the best grass court player ever) for a three set match lasting longer than most five-setters and actually beating Novak the next day when Juan Martin should've been, realistically, the fatigued one of the two.  How he stood on that medal podium looking up at Andy holding the gold, who appeared both happy and puzzled how he'd managed to sweep past Roger to be in this position.

But what Juan Martin does know is the reaction from others in the locker room is a sigh of relief, realizing all the hard work could lead him to a moment of glory.  He was just thankful to play but to realize he really could hang around one of the fittest players on tour in a five set match meant there really could still be more great moments ahead for the next part of his career.

He gets to his locker and sees a piece of paper sticking out of the flap.  He's careful to open the locker so the paper doesn't get fly to the other end of the room.

It reads: _Welcome back.  The tour has missed you.  ~ AM_

Juan Martin looks around, even though he's certain he would have known if Andy was actually in the room.  He's pretty sure Andy isn't even on the schedule for today, as he'd won his second round the day before. 

He hasn't really seen Andy this year to this point so, even though Juan Martin had received goodwill messages during his time away as well as when he'd returned to Indian Wells, it still doesn’t feel real how Andy had noticed.  He doesn’t know why this simple message hits him more than Novak's bouquet of flowers he receives later that day.

 

**3\. Olympics, 2016**

On his first day of the Olympics, Juan Martin was stuck in an elevator as he figured his day would end by losing to the dominant number one player in the world.

It's now the morning of the last day of tennis' part in the Olympics and he cannot believe what's happened to get to this moment.  He beat Novak and he survived Rafa and he's about to go on court to play Andy with a gold medal on the line.

Gold.  He's out of tears of joy, it's irrelevant now if he loses, he is _here._   A match he was so close to reaching four years ago but had missed has happened.  It's even the same opponent he would have faced then and it feels like a magic spell has been cast. 

He gives it his all, he loses to Andy but it does not even matter.  He's happy to look up at Andy again, a second medal to add, one he brought for his nation.

 

**4\. Davis Cup Semifinal, 2016**

Juan Martin hears murmurings about a funeral but he doesn't really get it until he reaches the press conference the day before Argentina's tie against Great Britain and doesn’t see Andy laughing along with the rest of the GB team. 

Andy's grandfather had died.  The funeral was actually tomorrow but Andy had paid his respects today and Jamie was heading there tomorrow.

None of that matters on the court as they battle for five hours in Glasgow.  The chanting of the crowd trying to pull their hero through so... Juan Martin keeps thinking he's reached his top moment and having to rewrite the goals because everything is happening so _fast._

The reaction when Juan Martin wins the last point is incredible.  He doesn't know if this match will be enough to get Argentina to the final, as there are still two more wins needed, but this match feels like he's won the US Open again. 

The crowd, as much as most of them wanted Andy to win, are knowledgeable enough about tennis to know just how much Andy has done over the last two years to get British tennis to this moment.  That they could actually _enjoy_ Andy's Wimbledon final this year without the threat of ghosts and history looming around. 

Of course Juan Martin is happy but the fact Andy is going through grief on a personal as well as professional level right now makes him hold back on the celebration just a _little_ bit.

By the time Juan Martin is done with cooldown, everyone else from the Davis Cup team is back on the sidelines watching Pella's match so he sneaks around through the corridors to the opposition locker room.  He taps on the door but can hear Andy's voice as if he's on a phone call.

The door opens, Andy appearing in sweats with his cell in his hand.  He holds up a finger before saying into the phone, "As long as you're ready to go tomorrow.  _I'm_ the one who had to work five hours, _you_ were just dealing with a road trip."  He gives a faint smirk toward Juan Martin as he lets his brother huff out a reply.  Andy interrupts, "Talk to you when you come up with an answer," then disconnects the call.

"Sorry about that.  I didn't want you to think you had any sort of insider information if you end up playing the doubles tomorrow."

Juan Martin shrugs it off, then collects himself as he briefly forgets English words while those green eyes are taking him in as Andy is determining the purpose of this visit.  "I'm sorry about your _abuelo_.  Must've been tough to play with funeral today."

Andy unstiffens his posture, getting out of defensive or media mode.  He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.  "Oh.  Yeah.  I... do appreciate that.  I paid my respects yesterday but I could not miss today.  I'm hearing we may have had the match of the year.  Congratulations."

"I don't know if that true but nice to _win_ one of those.  Good match anyway."  He hesitates then thinks screw it and envelopes Andy in a hug, not so much about the match but everything Andy has done these last few years and getting through a day like this.

He thinks he hears an "oh" from Andy before he takes his hands out of his pockets to reciprocate the hug.

 

**5\. World Tour Finals, 2016**

Since their Davis Cup match, Andy has been incapable of losing.  It starts with good fortune but the fact Andy has had to deal with three historic roadblocks (four if you count his own country) for so many years make it seem long overdue. 

That all comes to a head when Andy faces Novak in the final.  Juan Martin, along with the rest of the Argentina team, has just landed in Croatia but they have a stream going for the match.  One player looks like the number one player in the world and, even though Andy only got to the honor two weeks ago, he seems to like the fit as he controls the match.

The match has ended about a half hour ago when Juan Martin's phone buzzes with a text.

_You have two more chances to top the match of the year.  No one wants to see Ivo's dance moves._

**+1 Davis Cup Final, 2016**

It's a few hours and many glasses of alcohol later when Juan Martin heads to his hotel room to find a note, remarkably similar to a few others he's received in lockers this past year.  All it has is Skype information but, even with a nondescript name, he's sure it's somehow gotten there from Scotland.

He sets up his laptop and types in a message.  It is only about ten minutes later the reply comes.

"Hi Andy.  How did..."

"I did consider seeing you in person but I have better plans going on here.  My dad is getting married in a few days."

"Oh wow.  You interrupted for this?"

"I may have been in contact with Leo so that he'd know when to leave that message at the proper moment.  You sure knew how to provide the drama on the last day of the season.  Two sets down to Cilic?  That's playing with fire." 

"I didn't exactly plan that way."

"Who would _want_ to do that?  You know that winning Davis Cup can lead to big things the year after?"

"I don't know how it can be better.  This year is special."

"Cannot agree more."  Andy looks over his shoulder, then says in a sort of higher pitch whisper, "Would you like to meet someone?"

Juan Martin answers, "Sure?" then realizes Andy wasn't actually speaking to him then.  He hears what could only be described as a gurgle in the background. 

Andy says, "Sophia, I want you to meet the biggest teddy bear."  He is out of view as he goes to pick his daughter up.  When he returns, a beautiful little girl is in his lap.  "Wave hello to this guy.  He is amazing."

Juan Martin knows he should be a bit sad about how his crush could've been destroyed.  But Andy is right.  Seeing her shows what can be better has nothing to do with a tennis court.  He smiles brightly as he waves to Sophia.  "So nice to meet you."


End file.
